THE EDUCATION AND LABOR-MARKET OUTCOMES OF ADOLESCENT FATHERS

The author examines the educational and labor market outcomes of young men in the United States, with a particular emphasis on adolescent fa thers. She finds that men who were teen fathers complete fewer years o f education and are less likely to finish high school compared to men who were not teen fathers. These educational deficits persist even aft er family and personal characteristics are taken into account. Teen fa thers enter the labor market earlier and initially earn more money tha n do other men; by the time teen fathers reach their mid-20s, however, they earn less. After controlling for personal traits and family back ground, the long-term earnings deficits of teen fathers disappear impl ying that teen fathers are as capable of providing for their children as are other young men from similarly disadvantaged backgrounds. Unfor tunately, this will not ease the jobs of child support enforcement off icials, who must regularly confront young, low-income, absent fathers and/or improve the plight of welfare-dependent and other impoverished children. Data are from the National Longitudinal Survey of labor Mark et Participation-Youth Cohort.